Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol 41, Issue 5 689-692, Copyright © 1976 by American Physiological Society
Effect of carbon monoxide exposures on erythrocytic 2,3-DPG in rabbits
J. M. Ramsey and P. W. Casper
To determine if an exposure to lower levels of carbon monoxide (CO)
produces quantitative changes in erythrocytic 2,3-diphosphoglycerate
(2,3-DPG), eight rabbits were exposed to 100 ppm CO for 5 h resulting in
approximately 20% carboxyhemoglobin (HbCO). 2,3-DPG was determined before
exposure and immediately after exposure as well as every 3 h during the 24
h following exposure. To determine if intermittent CO exposures over a
prolonged period of time affect 2,3-DPG, an additional 12 rabbits were
exposed to 250 ppm CO for three intermittent periods totaling 300 min daily
for 14 days (30% HbCO). 2,3-DPG was determined once per animal at the end
of each day's exposure period. All animals served as their own controls in
both experiments. Neither the results of the 24-h time course nor those of
the 14-day time course showed significant differences in mean 2,3-DPG
between controls and exposed animals at any sampling time. Apparently
erythrocytic 2,3-DPG plays neither a compensating nor aggravating role in
respect to the hypoxia induced by these levels of HbCO in the rabbit.
